May 6, 2007 Psalm 84 Class Read verses 1 – 2 Why would God’s dwelling place be described as lovely?

Describe a soul that "yearns" and "faints."

Deuteronomy 4: 27-29 … look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 … Love the LORD your God with all your heart ,… soul … strength.

2 Chronicles 15: 10-15 … They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. …

Matthew 5: 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 22:36-38 "… Love the Lord your God with all your heart … soul … mind.' …

What is meant by "heart and flesh?"

Is God a "living God?" Isaiah 40: 28-31 He will not grow tired or weary,….

Acts 14:15 … turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea….

2 Corinthians 3:2,3 .. you are a letter from Christ… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God

Read verses 3 – 4 v3 Do birds build nests in places of safety?

v4 In what way are those who dwell in God’s house blessed?

Selah Pause and think of that.

Read verses 5 – 8 In what way are those whose strength is in God blessed?

Genesis 1:27-28… God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number…

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 … blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD …; 28 the curse if you disobey … and …by following other gods, which you have not known.

Deuteronomy 30:15-18 … walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, …; then you will live and increase, Jeremiah 17:5-7 … "Cursed is the one …whose heart turns away from the LORD…. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,… blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

Acts 3:26..God raised up his servant, … to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Rev 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads .. this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear .. take to heart ..

Ephesians 4:22-24 … put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Hebrews 12:1-3 … throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

Hebrews 11:37-40 … stoned; … sawed in two; … put to death by the sword… destitute, persecuted and mistreated— … commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. …

Revelation 2:8-11 … in Smyrna …9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!

v5 zeal for God Spiritual Growth

John 2:15-17 So he…drove all from the temple area,… "Zeal for your house will consume me."

1 Timothy 4:11-16 … in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. … devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. … 15Be diligent in these matters…

Selah Pause and think of that.

Read verse 9 Is this a prayer for the nation?

Read verses 10 – 12 v10 Where is "elsewhere?"
v10 Is one day in God’s presence equal to a thousand days elsewhere?

What is the job of the doorkeeper? What is life like for those who dwell in the tents of the wicked?

v11 How is God a "sun and shield?" Who receives good things from God?

What does a blameless walk look like? Genesis 6: 9 … Noah was a righteous man,

Psalm 15:1-5 … does what is righteous, … speaks the truth from his heart 3 … no slander…does his neighbor no wrong…casts no slur on his fellowman, … despises a vile man… honors those who fear the LORD,… keeps his oath…lends his money without …does not accept a bribe against the innocent….

Compare verse 11 and verses 1,2. What is better, God’s dwelling place or God himself?

…it is God that gives value to his dwelling place, not the other way around

Summarize this Psalm Next Week Psalm 86

May 6, 2007 Psalm 84 Leader

"According to gittith."

1 Chronicles 26:1 The sons of Korah were in the divisions of the gatekeepers of the temple. They were descended from the Korah who rebelled against Moses. "The Wycliffe Bible Commentary" C. F. Pfeiffer and E. F. Harrison eds. Moody Press (1962) page 387

Read verses 1 – 2

Why would God’s dwelling place be described as lovely?

soul … our essence, that part of us that is eternal

Describe a soul that "yearns" and "faints."

This soul has direction, this soul knows it is good to go towards God.

This soul becomes weak without God.

Deuteronomy 4: 27-29 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples…28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, … 29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 … Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

2 Chronicles 15: 10-15 They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the LORD … They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the LORD, … were to be put to death, … 14 They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. …

Matthew 5: 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 22:36-38 "… which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' …

What is meant by "heart and flesh?"

the whole person, inside and outside

Is God a "living God?"

Isaiah 40: 28-31 … The LORD is the everlasting God,… He will not grow tired or weary,…. 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

Acts 14:15 … We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea….

2 Corinthians 3:2,3 You yourselves are our letter, … 3You show that you are a letter from Christ… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

…God is working in peoples’ lives today

Read verses 3 – 4

v3 Do birds build nests in places of safety?

yes and near God is safety

v3 altar "the places of sacrifice for sin, reconciliation and communion with God."

"The New Bible Commentary Revised" D. Guthrie and J. Motyer eds. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (1970) page 504

The word altars here means the whole temple court yard, not just the place where the altar fires were burning. "Songs of Israel" by R. E. Harlow Everyday Publications (1970) page 104

v4 In what way are those who dwell in God’s house blessed?

Selah Pause and think of that.

Read verses 5 – 8

In what way are those whose strength is in God blessed?

Genesis 1:27-2827 So God created man in his own image,… 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. …

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 … I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD …; 28 the curse if you disobey … and …by following other gods, which you have not known.

blessing and cursing

Deuteronomy 30:15-18 … I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, …; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless … 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you … bow down to other gods …you will certainly be destroyed. …

Jeremiah 17:5-7 … "Cursed is the one who trusts in …whose heart turns away from the LORD…. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,… 7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

Acts 3: 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Jesus was sent to bless us.

Rev 1:3 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, …

Ephesians 4:22-24 … put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; … put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Hebrews 12:1-3 … since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, …3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Blessing is not just things.

Hebrews 11:37-40 … stoned; … sawed in two; … put to death by the sword… destitute, persecuted and mistreated— … 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. …

Revelation 2:8-11 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write…9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! …Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. … Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life…He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

v5 pilgrimage

zeal

John 2:15-17 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, … How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" 17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

spiritual growth

1 Timothy 4:11-16 …an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. … devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. … 15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them,…

v 6 "The word Baca means weeping and the valley may speak of sorrow"

"Songs of Israel" by R. E. Harlow Everyday Publications (1970) page 105

Selah Pause and think of that.

Read verse 9

Is this a prayer for the nation?

the shield … army?

God’s anointed one … David?

Read verses 10 – 12

v10 Where is "elsewhere?"
out of God’s presence

v10 Is one day in God’s presence equal to a thousand days elsewhere?

no, it is better

What is the job of the doorkeeper?

stand by the door, a servant

What is life like for those who dwell in the tents of the wicked?

seem to have an easy life, perhaps a carefree day, lounge around

But, there is no eternal benefit to the person, rather, eternal judgment awaits

v11 How is God a "sun and shield?"

He bestows favor and honor.

He does not withhold good things.

Who receives good things from God?

those whose walk is blameless.

What does a blameless walk look like?

Genesis 6: 9 … Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people …, and he walked with God.

Psalm 15:1-5 … does what is righteous, … speaks the truth from his heart 3 … no slander…does his neighbor no wrong…casts no slur on his fellowman, … despises a vile man… honors those who fear the LORD,… keeps his oath…lends his money without …does not accept a bribe against the innocent….

Who is not assigning blame to the person?

God

NT every perfect gift

NT if you know how to give good gifts

Compare verse 11 and verses 1,2. What is better, God’s dwelling place or God himself?

…it is God that gives value to his dwelling place, not the other way around

Summarize this Psalm

v12 A summary of the Psalm

blessed is the man who trusts in God

Next Week Psalm 86